


Pretty thing

by Green_Sphynx



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: M/M, but aside from mermanders the rest is mostly canon setting, illegally obtained hugs, mermaid au, mermanders, not canon timesetting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-26
Updated: 2017-10-26
Packaged: 2019-01-23 15:35:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12510556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Green_Sphynx/pseuds/Green_Sphynx
Summary: Mermanders likes to fish up pretty drowning people





	Pretty thing

"Well, aren't you just the prettiest little thing?"

Anders heaved the body out of the water, onto the algae slick rock of his favoured stream. It was a bit up from the mouth, where the brackish water lost most of its salinity. It was from experience that Anders knew that most land dwelling creatures had less resistance against seawater than fresh water, and this one sure didn't look like a natural swimmer.

His haul of the day abruptly started coughing up water when Anders gave him a tap on the chest filled with magic, emptying out his lungs violently and heaving for air.

"Silly thing. Lungs really aren't suitable for water. You need gills for that." He helped the cutie to stay slumped sideways for as long as the water came out, gently lowering him down on his back when he seemed done. Anders reached up to move the wet hair sticking to his face away, fingers curiously running over the soft skin and slightly raised white dots on his forehead.

"I have never seen anything like you. All singing lines and graceful arches… my name's Anders."

Anders beamed at the other who managed a weak, confused glower. It was probably an elf, despite the strange lines. Maybe just a subspecies of elves? A very pretty one, that was for sure. A shame Anders hadn't seen them before, because now he wasn't sure what he could and could not do to help the poor thing. His lungs seemed normal enough, but Anders wouldn't dare healing the cuts and scrapes while not understanding what these pretty lines consisted of.

"Fenris."

The elf's voice was hoarse from nearly drowning, but Anders liked the sound of it anyway. He sounded all deep and husky and _sexy_.

"You're pretty." He told the elf, resting his elbows on the rocks next to him. He quirked an eyebrow when he realised this was maybe a little too forward, so he added nonchalantly: "You were also drowning pretty bad. Maybe you shouldn't go that deep if you can't swim?"

"I can swim," Fenris rasped defensively. "I just got… tired. It was further than I thought."

"What was further than you thought?"

"The eyes of Nocen."

"That's what the humans call it here," Anders quipped, raising an eyebrow. "It's _here_ , it's not _far_."

The elf sighed and rolled his eyes, now slowly pushing upright. "It is if you come swimming from Seheron."

Anders had to ponder that for a moment. "Isn't that… the land on the other end, where the giants are fighting the humans? That's… more than a day's swim from here."

"More than a day indeed," the amusement was clear in the elf's voice, until he looked down and froze.

"For you I think it would be several days. These flimsy things can't be very helpful for keeping a good swimming speed." Anders took a few of the elf's toes in his fingers to wriggle them around and Fenris' jerked his feet back.

"You're a mermaid!"

"Mer _man_ for you, mister." Anders smoothed the palms of his hands over his chest to make a point. Smooth, flat chest. No dangly female bits, thank you very much.

"How- why- but-?"

"You were drowning. And pretty. I got curious." Anders came forward to lean his elbows on the slick rock again, his tail gently slapping the streaming water behind him. "My curiosity is partly sated but… will you stay close to the water? Can I meet you again?"

"I need to get back to Master," Fenris cringed a little. "Master was not pleased he had to leave me behind on Seheron. He will be upset when I return, but the longer I take the more upset he'll be."

"Master? You're one of those slaves?" Anders was upright as soon as the realisation hit him, arms stretching and tail beating to lift him up in the air and over the elf. He gracelessly flopped on top of the elf, bodily pinning him. "No way! I did not save you for you to be some human's property! You nearly died!"

"I don't see what difference that makes." To his credit, Fenris didn't really struggle aside from uncomfortable squirming. Anders could feel curious fingers touching his scales, exploring the feel and trying to be subtle about it.

Fenris was likely too exhausted to struggle after nearly drowning. Anders felt a little bad that he was happy about that, but at least it kept Fenris from straight up leaving and go back to being a slave.

"Keeping slaves is wrong," Anders argued, wiggling his arms around the elf to hug him tight. Clinging to him as if that would stop him from leaving. "You are a person, not property."

"Your opinion on right and wrong do not change the facts."

"They did when I saved you from drowning!"

Fenris went silent, and Anders nuzzled the nape of his neck. The elf was soaked and smelled of the sea, having spent days in it, apparently. But underneath was a different smell… it was hard to determine, here up in the air. Anders hated how air dulled his senses, but he wouldn't draw the poor land dweller back in the water now.

"W-why are you… why do you care?"

Anders grinned against Fenris' skin. He was pretty sure the skin was heating up, which was a good sign. He probably flustered the elf with his cuddling, but he could just pretend this was normal behaviour among the merfolk. Not like Fenris could call him out on his lie.

"I care because I put effort in saving you, because you are pretty, because it's the right thing to do, because I like you and I want to know more about you. I can't learn more about you if you go away and be some human's slave." He lifted his face to look the flustered elf in the eye, but didn't release the tight hug. In fact, he curled his tail a little better over Fenris' legs to make sure his own weight wouldn't draw him back into the water. "Stay here with me instead."

"And do what?" Fenris looked very troubled just asking that question.

"Anything!"

"I can't. Thank you for saving me… Anders, but I must return to Master."

"No!" Anders jerked his tail in an angry motion. "I won't let you!"

"Please don't try to stop me. I do not want to hurt you."

Anders looked up, eyes wide at the unexpected threat. Fenris looked pained, but like he meant it.

_By the Lady of the seas, he meant it._ _He would harm Anders if he tried to stop him._

"At least stay until you recover?" he tried meekly instead. "I want to heal your wounds but your skin is alien to me. Stay long enough for me to help."

Fenris hesitated, before slowly nodding. "Until I have recovered."

Anders hid his face in the elf's neck again, hugging him tight. _It wasn't right_.

With every new meeting, Anders opinion of humanity was bound to drop lower.


End file.
